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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27887755">The Way You Look Tonight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SennyriNamis23/pseuds/SennyriNamis23'>SennyriNamis23</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Play The Game (of Love) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age: Inquisition</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Multiple Inquisitors, One-Shot, Sweet Sweet Fluff, hello im here for your comfort fic needs, just fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:02:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>979</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27887755</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SennyriNamis23/pseuds/SennyriNamis23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ellior and Dorian finally get a few moments to themselves after a long evening at the Winter Palace. Everything is soft and sweet and nothing hurts.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Male Inquisitor/Dorian Pavus, Male Lavellan/Dorian Pavus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Play The Game (of Love) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2044882</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Way You Look Tonight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I mention a couple other Inquisitors - in my canon, I've got three. Nihkaani Adaar (who holds the Anchor), Yveriel Lavellan, and Ellior Lavellan. Ellior obviously gets the spotlight in this one.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Halamshiral was a bloody nightmare.</p><p>Literally.</p><p>Josephine had briefed him ahead of time on the Game, on the ways the nobility of Orlais wore masks and smiles to hide machinations and murder, but never in a million years did Ellior think the night would end by preventing the actual murder of Empress Celene. And then reconciling her and her elven lover.</p><p>His head was still spinning, just thinking about all the posturing and the sneaking and the spying he and Nihkaani had done that night. It had only been six hours but it felt like six days. And Yveriel was no help, collecting secrets and spying on the nobles for Leliana while returning often to Cullen as he battled a painful bout of withdrawal as well as a half dozen thinly veiled marriage proposals.</p><p>He rested his elbows on the railing on the balcony, staring out into the dark Orlesian wilderness as the party continued behind him in the Winter Palace. He could hear another waltz from the orchestra, the clinking of wine glasses, the raucous laughter of drunken guests. He sighed and shook his head. The quietness of Skyhold was a long way from here.</p><p>And then, a hand on his back. A familiar scent of sweet wine and cologne. Ellior smiled as Dorian rested against the balcony with him.</p><p>“There was an ancient dowager who wanted to talk with you. Said she had twelve daughters,” he said in a rush, like he’d bolted away from the conversation out to the balcony, “I told her you left already.”</p><p>Ellior just shook his head.</p><p>“You can thank me now if you like. Or later,” Dorian offered jokingly, his face suddenly dropping as he looked at his partner, “But you look lost in thought. Something on your mind?”</p><p>He let out a long exhale, leaning into Dorian’s side, “I’m just worn out. Tonight has been… very long.”</p><p>He laughed - a little too loudly, a little too harshly, a little too drunkenly, but it still sent Ellior’s poor little heart into a tizzy.</p><p>“You won! You saved the day! Literally, the day is saved! You should be celebrating! Enjoy yourself while you can!”</p><p>Ellior didn’t reply, just took Dorian’s hand in his and squeezed it gently, giving him a tired smile.</p><p>Then the music changed inside, sounds of the band and the baritone singer wafting through the open door out to where they stood.</p><p>“<em>Un jour, quand je serai terriblement faible, Quand le monde sera froid Je sentirai une lueur juste en pensant à toi Et ta façon d'être ce soir.</em>”</p><p>Dorian’s eyes lit up, and he took a step back from the balcony, still holding Ellior’s hand but out in front of him as he dipped into a bow, “What you need is a distraction. I have just the thing - may I have this dance?”</p><p>He blew out an amused exhale, but stepped away from the balcony railing closer to Dorian, “How do you still have this much energy?”</p><p>“Oh, I’m sure I’ll collapse on the floor once this last drink wears off,” he replied jovially, pulling Ellior against him and placing his free hand on his waist, “So let’s hope it lasts us this last song, shall we?”</p><p>They followed familiar footsteps, moving in time with the music, careful steps taking them around the secluded balcony. Close enough that they could hear the music and the raucous din inside, but far enough that the world outside the two of them was muffled, dimmed.</p><p>They’d practiced these steps hundreds of times in the Skyhold basement, but it felt different this time. Not because they were in Halamshiral, or because Cullen wasn’t there trying to get his own feet to cooperate. Although it was nice to have Dorian to himself this time.</p><p>There was something about the way Dorian squeezed his hand. The way he gently led them around the balcony. The way he looked off into the distance, but felt completely present pressed against him. Like looking would have broken his concentration on everything else.</p><p>Ellior looked up to Dorian, into his lovely gray eyes, over the golden snake ornament on his ear, the dark pendant that hung from his neck. And Dorian, ever the tease, smiled down at him mischievously. But he said nothing, just grinned as they took another three steps across the balcony.</p><p>Another verse hung in the air as they turned slowly, “<em>Avec chaque mot, ta tendresse grandit, En déchirant ma peur. Et ce rire qui froisse ton nez, Touche mon cœur fou.</em>”</p><p>Ellior closed his eyes and rested his head on Dorian’s shoulder. He still followed the steps, let Dorian lead him, but they were smaller and shallower now. Dorian pressed a kiss to his hair, to which Ellior hummed contentedly.</p><p>He took his hand out of Dorian’s and wrapped his arms around his neck, pushing himself up onto his tiptoes to drape him in a hug. He almost professed his love for him then and there, told him how much he loved his passion and his gentleness and his boldness. That he made Ellior feel safer and more relaxed than anyone had before him.</p><p>But he couldn’t find the right words.</p><p>Dorian squeezed him and then eased him down from his toes. Ellior kissed down his jaw as he relaxed again, leaving one hand on his cheek and the other on his shoulder. He looked at him again, and let out a relieved and grateful exhale before resting his head on Dorian’s shoulder again.</p><p>As they stood there on the balcony, kissing and holding each other tenderly, tiredly, the music began to fade out around them. Surely the band continued, but the last thing Ellior heard before Dorian swallowed all of his senses were soft words on the breeze, “<em>Parce-que je t'aime, Juste comme tu es ce soir, Juste comme tu es ce soir…</em>”</p>
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